Student news: A roundup of accolades

• Four Fox Chapel Area High School students placed at the annual Hampton Talbot Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament on Nov. 23. The team of juniors Maya Agarwal and Prachi Behal won fourth place in Parliamentary Debate, junior Priscila Hayetian was awarded fifth place in Informative Speaking, and junior Dylan Paserba won fifth place in Humorous Interpretation. About 260 students from 19 Western Pennsylvania schools participated in the competition at Hampton High School.

• Five Fox Chapel Area High School students were selected by audition to perform Nov. 24 with the 2024 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 1 Honors Band. They are senior Marina Dunham (bassoon); juniors Elliott Broyles (trombone), Jack Murray-Krezan (percussion) and Joshua Shah (flute); and sophomore Nadre Digbohou (clarinet). The band was comprised of 120 of the best student-musicians from Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

The PMEA District 1 Honors Band concert was held at North Hills Middle School. Dr. Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin, director of wind band studies and assistant professor of music at Penn State University, served as the conductor.

• Ten Fox Chapel Area High School students participated in the second annual Allegheny County Chorus Festival on Oct. 15. They are seniors Madeleine Jones and Alaina OKunewick; juniors Alana Calig, Lincoln Rowley, Benjamin Shuttleworth and Robert Svenson; and sophomores Cascie Banachoski, Maisie Hays, Sofia Melani and Emily Wright. About 200 students were selected by their directors to perform at the festival, which was held at Gateway High School. The students were directed by four area choir directors.